Whether it is their family life; their relationships or finances, friendships; everyone wants to change something. Goal setting is the first step to do that. Though, many of us are great at trying to set goals but most of us are practically inefficient of following these goals.

Think about it. How many times have you determined on a particular course of action and simply didn’t follow determined way of doing it? Quite often many of the individuals behave in this way.
Unable To Follow the Goals
Sometimes the toughest part of the accomplishing any goal is the setting of goals itself. The easiest way of looking at this is to think of each and every New Year. Actually it is the resolutions, which form the largest part of New Year’s celebrations but not the parties and the get-togethers.

We all like to attend and talk about New Years Eve parties; the resolutions for the New Year are the most common source of conversation.

The only trouble is that most of us set the same resolutions every year, and every year, we are unsuccessful to achieve these goals. After all, we would not make the same resolution every year, if we were successful in achieving those goals.

You need to know the fact about what is really holding you back. Goal setting and motivation go hand in hand. The goal is your journey and the motivation your fuel to get there.

You may have gallons and gallons of fuel, but no journey to go on. You may have many goals, but no fuel to get there. What can avoid you from going on that journey? There are many more things holding you back than you understand.

Goal Setting Techniques
· Make sure that your goals are your own and no one else’s
· Deciding what is important for you to accomplish in your life and making your options based on this knowledge
· Motivating yourself to attainment to ensure their accomplishment
· Building your self-confidence based on the measured attainment of goals
· Separating what is significant from what is unrelated so that your focus is in the right place

By setting goals you can:
· Improve your self-confidence
· Increase your motivation to achieve the most out of life
· Achieve more in your lifetime
· Plan to eliminate attitudes that hold you back and cause unhappiness
· Improve your overall performances in life
· Increase your pride and satisfaction in your achievements

Advantages of Goal Setting
· Concentrate and focus better
· Are happier and more satisfied with life
· Show more self-confidence
· Suffer less from stress and anxiety
· Perform better in all areas of life

Reward Yourself
When you have accomplished a goal, you have to take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of having done so. Absorb the implications of the goal accomplishment, and observe the growth you have made towards accomplishing other goals. You should reward yourself appropriately, if the goal was an important one.

Think of the goal like this, why would you prefer to ignore any achievements that you have made? In doing that, you are minimizing the importance of your achievement, which will induce you that it wasn’t that important in the first place.

Focus helps you put your act together. It helps you mobilize your resources and channel them in one direction. That way, you make progress consistently in the direction of your goal or milestones.

Imagine the lamps in the front of your car. Most models use the same size and bulb and wattage. What makes a full beam is focus. Driving on a dark road at midnight, you can see up to a kilometer ahead. If the beam is focussed further, it can generate heat. Focussed further still, it cut through some materials. That is the power of focus.

To fulfil your dreams, you have to break it down into actionable segments, goals. Fulfilling the dream involves achieving the goals that make up the dream. Focus enables you meet your goals.

Without focus, you become distracted. You lose direction. Your priorities get messed up. You start to look in different directions. This may involve beginning other projects, when the one at hand has not been pursued to a logical conclusion. The cycle continues, and the net effect is that you litter the landscape with abandoned projects. If you consider the time, energy and resources committed into these abandoned projects, put together and focussed on one project, results would have been achieved.

This brings to mind a simple experiment we did in junior high. To draw a simple straight line from point A to point B, without using a straight edge. To do that successfully, we were instructed to mark out the two points at two opposite ends of a plain sheet of paper. Then placing our pencil on point A, we were to keep our eyes on point B, as we draw the line. The net effect was a simple (maybe not perfect) straight line from point A to B. We were told to repeat the experiment, this time, place our pencil at point a, and keep our eyes on the pencil as it makes its way to point B. You can guess the result; a wavy line from point A to nowhere. By the time the pencil got to the opposite edge of the paper, we had to look for point B is. We had all gone way off mark.

It was a simple and powerful lesson in focus, though sadly, few of us took it to heart; keep your eyes where you are going, and you will get there. Keep your eyes where you are, and you will get lost.

Have you ever wondered what is the difference between a magnet and a nail? They are both made of carbon steel. It is in its molecular structure. Each has a north and south polarity. In the magnet, all the molecules are in perfect alignment, all north poles pointing in one direction (to make the north pole) and all south poles pointing in the opposite direction (to make the south pole). This is what accumulates to constitute the magnetic force. In the nail, the alignment is haphazard. They point in all directions. The net effect is that the electromagnetic forces cancel themselves and the resultant magnetic force is nil.

If you bring a nail within the magnetic field of a magnet, it sucks it in. While still attached to the magnet, the nail becomes a magnet too, and can magnet other metals. What happens is the magnetic force of the magnet forces the molecules in the nail to put its act together and line up in one direction. If you remove the nail, its molecular array returns to its former state, and it becomes a non-magnet one more time.

The magnet is a focused guy. He pulls its resources together and achieves. The nail is a confused guy, he deploys its resources in all directions, jumps from project to project and cancels out whatever progress he would have made.

As a shrewd manager of or time, energy and resources we need to plan and focus. You may have a thousand ideas. Create an idea bank in your computer and store them for safekeeping. Each idea has its time. Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come. If you run before time, you wear yourself out, and add your idea to your database of abandoned projects. Instead of the idea motivating you, it now becomes a source of discouragement.

Each well-run army knows its strategic strengths, and how many theatres of war it can prosecute simultaneously. If it over stretches itself, it sets itself up for defeat.

It may be time step back review your current ongoing projects. Take a second look at your short term and long term goals. Do you still believe in your dream? If so, look at projects that are on the critical path to the fulfillment of your dream. Suspend projects that distract you from getting to where you are headed. If all your ongoing projects are relevant, assign priorities to them, continue with the most critical, and keep the others in view. Pursue one project to its logical conclusion. It may not necessarily mean staying permanently on one project. You can push it to a stage that it becomes self-sustaining or delegate-able to others, then delegate and move on. It will continue to thrive, as you break new grounds. Also you can take on other projects, if and only if they do not distract you, or slow down your primary thrust.

It does not make sense to complain that you don’t have enough time to do the things you need to do, simply because you got your life cluttered with so many things that are nice, but not absolutely necessary.

It is great to start. Most folks don’t. But starting alone is not enough. Finish what you start. The laurel belongs to those who finish, not to starters. The end of the matter is better than the beginning thereof. If you remain focussed long enough, you will get to the finish line.

1. What’s your highest priority this lifetime?

What’s most important for you to experience, explore or embrace this time around? Until you answer this question, your life goals will be off purpose. Unaligned with your inner passion, your intentions will lack the power to attract the people and situations necessary to become a reality.

Get clued into your true joy. What activities turned you on as a child? What are your hobbies now? When your goals are aligned with your soul purpose, synchronicity kicks in to guide you to your target. When you intuit and own your unique essence and calling, assistance will flow to you from every earthly and heavenly source.

2. Is this your goals, or someone else’s?

Are your goals your own choice, or what others think you should strive for? Do you want to look back in your old age and wish you had followed your passion? Will you regret having “played it safe?”

Is it selfish to go after your own goals? What joy can you give to others if you haven’t given it to yourself first?

You have a divine right to listen to your heart. You have a social obligation to follow your goals. Only then can you fulfill your destiny and make the earthly contribution you were born to make.

3. Do you really, really want this goals?

Do you bound out of bed every morning to pursue your vision? Or is it a lukewarm goals you chase because it sounds meaningful? Only the Real McCoy will generate enough energy to manifest itself in the world.

4. Are you settling for less than?

Are you resigned to accepting less than your full share of love, health and success this lifetime? Have you compromised and sacrificed your goals to death?

Anything short of living your true passions will never make you happy. Do you want to arrive at the Pearly Gates with the regret of not marrying that one captivating person, starting that fun business, or seeing that exotic part of the world you always wanted to visit?

5. Is your goals actually just a means to some other goals?

Is your goal the ultimate end in itself, or merely a limited means to that end? Isn’t it really the new car itself you want, rather than the money-the means-to buy the new car? More to the core, isn’t it really a renewed sense of self-worth you desire, rather than the new car or house to impress the family and neighbors? And isn’t it really happiness you want, rather than the picture-perfect mate, job or body?

Focus on the experience you want to create, not the physical form that may-or may not-bring you that experience.

6. What will you feel like when you reach your goals?

Personal passion fuels a vision. Dive into the thrill and exhilaration of the feeling of living your goals. Every moment you can, drink in the joy of having your goal.

The Hawaiian Kahuna say, “Where your creative attention flows, so flows your life.” Is your daily attention feeding your goals? As the TV public service announcement reminds us, “It’s midnight. Do you know where your children are?” Hey, in your life, it’s high noon! Do you know where your creative excitement is flowing?

It’s high time you manifested your aspirations. Dynamic, satisfying creations are nurtured with love and care as a flower in a garden.

7. How will you benefit from getting your goals?

Get specific about the benefits you’ll receive from achieving your vision. Write down these pluses so they will sink in as motivators. What exactly would happen if you made a lot of money doing something you love? How would you approach your life differently if you allowed people to love and support you? What would you do with more vitality and health?

8. What steps can you take today toward your goals?

Don’t defer your goals. Set up supports and systems around you to instantly translate your intentions into action. Jump on every opportunity that is in line with your purpose and vision.

Keep the momentum going. No matter how hectic life gets, pledge to take at least one action a day. Even the smallest actions-jotting down a new idea, reading a single page, or making one phone call-can start to add up.

Are there smaller projects that lead to your larger goals that can give you pleasure in the meantime? If the goals is to run a marathon, train for a local fun-run first. And find a way to measure your progress. Track those little wins-by writing in a journal or telling a friend.

9. Are you telling yourself: “I can’t have my goals?”

Most people don’t believe they can live their goals. Either their belief system has them believing they can’t make a living doing what they love, or they feel they don’t deserve their goals. To avoid the pain of feeling they can’t have their goals, people often keep their goals so buried they can’t remember they ever had a goals.

Everyone has a goals! And everyone is destined to fulfill that purpose. Why wait?

10. Are you afraid of getting your goals?

Statistically, more heart attacks occur when “good” things happen, than when “bad” things happen! Getting your goals is life-threatening! Of course, realizing your goals is only threatening to your old experience of yourself and your life-you know, the one that’s boring-or paining-you to death!

Change is scary. Find a way to move the energy of fear. The only way to avoid feeling fear is to avoid living altogether!

11. Do you really need to accomplish your goals?

Do you really need to achieve your goals to be happy? Enter the “hootless state”-where you no longer give a hoot if the exact “picture” of your goals comes true. Without the interference of the ego’s push, pressure and micro managing, you have a much better chance of being in the right vibration-space-to attract real happiness. When you relax your grip on the exact way your future “has” to unfold, you give the Universe more flexibility in how it can fulfill your wishes.

And, on a higher plane, what if our true task here on Earth is simply to be who we already are in our essential nature-with or without manifesting our specific goals? What if the essence of who we are is enough?

1. I Resolve To… Okay, you have made your resolutions. Now, step back and take a look at each one. Are they resolutions you wanted to make or resolutions others have told you to make? Make certain that each resolution is something you definitely want to keep, not a half hearted attempt at reaching a goal that you really aren’t interested in reaching. If your resolution needs to be modified, do it at once.

2. My Goals Are… Are your resolutions reasonable or are they reaching well beyond what can normally be expected? Let’s say your goal is to lose 70 pounds in the coming year. While the weight loss resolution is admirable, do you have the time to exercise regularly? Change your eating habits? Change your lifestyle? Is the 70 pound weight loss goal too much, too soon? Would it be better for you to stretch the amount you want to lose beyond one calendar year?

Consider your health: both physical and mental when evaluating your goals. Keep in mind how your resolution may impact friends and family members…you may be a “bear” to live with over the next twelve months!

3. I Have Fallen and I Cannot Get Up! Do you quit at the first sign of failure? If you splurge on food, do you consider your diet and resolution to be over? If so, why? Simply start again and continue. The road to any goal is paved with pitfalls and you are bound to backslide from time to time. Best advice: Find an accountability partner who knows [and understands] your resolution and can encourage you to keep it.

4. Reward Yourself. At the end of the year, reward yourself based on how well you kept your resolution. If you hit your weight loss goals, consider going on a cruise — don’t overeat! — as a reward for good behavior. If you miss your goals, keep the cruise idea open for when you do meet your goals. In other words, some resolutions are ongoing and shouldn’t be restricted by a 365 day calendar.

Remember this:  resolutions are for your benefit, not your detriment. Your attitude toward a particular resolution will help you determine whether you should make that particular resolution or not. Any resolution made which doesn’t have your enthusiastic backing will certainly become a hindrance come February or March and forgotten altogether by April. Make resolutions that matter and be the better for it!

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Wise words? But what do they mean to someone who is trying to achieve their goals in life? That’s what we’ll be talking about in this article.

I am sure that you have some big goals in your life. Perhaps you want a mansion in the countryside, a sports car, or your own boat.

I am also sure that you may well be looking at this goal and thinking “How the hell am I going to get that?”

And this is where our wise philosopher comes into play.

Pick one of your major goals that you don’t know how to achieve and examine it more closely. Think about the goal and you will realise that it is made up of a number of smaller goals, each of which is in turn made up of other smaller goals.

Grab a piece of paper, write down a major goal at the top, and below it, write down the steps you can take to achieve this goal. In effect, each of these steps represents a mini-goal, and each of these mini-goals can be broken down further if necessary into more manageable chunks.

Do not become obsessed with achieving each minor step on your way to the major goal. You may find that some steps can be skipped, some become unnecessary, and that new steps appear. Review these minor steps regularly as they will change often.

Now you’ve just done this quick exercise, and you should never leave the scene of a decision without taking some action, so go do something to get yourself on the path to your goal!

An example may be that you want to buy a farm in the country. You know nothing about farms. You may break your goal down into something like:

1) Find out about farming – is it for me and what does it involve?
2) What sort of farms are there and which type do I want?
3) What is the best area for the type of farm that I want?
4) How much money do I need to buy the farm
…
…
…
Buy the farm

This is a very simple illustration of breaking down your goals. Each one of these may be broken down further into actions you can take.

Now you realise, that the journey towards a goal starts with a single step, and is made up of many steps.